Chapter 213

Chapter 213:

Celia felt a pang of sympathy for Madisyn and often took her out shopping for clothes. Back then, Madisyn didn’t want to burden Celia by spending too much of her money, so she carefully selected the cheapest options, even if they didn’t quite suit her taste.

This didn’t escape Celia’s keen eye, so one day, she took it upon herself to surprise Madisyn with several beautiful outfits, each one carefully chosen with love. Madisyn was profoundly moved by this gesture. She cherished those clothes, wearing them for years until they were threadbare, unable to part with them because of the memories they held.

Andrew noticed the distant look in Madisyn’s eyes and guessed that she was lost in the past again. Tightening his grip on her hand, he said tenderly, “Sweetheart, I’m here to make sure you never suffer again. You’re my girl, and you deserve to be the happiest person in the world.”

“I know.” Madisyn looked up at him with a soft smile, though her thoughts briefly wandered to whether Evie’s gift was ready. She was determined to bring as much joy to Andrew as he did to her.

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Just then, they wandered into a shoe store, where Madisyn’s eyes were instantly drawn to a pair of elegant white high heels. She sat down on the plush sofa, just about to remove her shoes when Andrew knelt before her, gently easing them off her feet. He then carefully slipped the high heels onto her, his touch both tender and reverent.

Madisyn blinked, momentarily taken aback. The future head of the Klein family, kneeling to help her change shoes… The scene felt almost dreamlike, like something out of a fairy tale.

Around them, envious whispers filled the air. A woman nudged her husband, her voice tinged with longing. “Look at that! The man treats his girlfriend so well, but you, all you do is grumble when we go shopping!”

Madisyn felt a blush rise to her cheeks. “I can do it myself,” she murmured, though the warmth of Andrew’s gesture made her heart flutter.

“Alright, stand up and walk for a while,” he encouraged. He even made sure to stay close enough to her that she could lean on him if she lost her balance.

Madisyn walked over to the mirror, admiring how the shoes elegantly framed her feet. They were perfect.

“Do you like them?” Andrew asked expectantly. Madisyn nodded, a bright smile lighting up her face. “I love them!”

Andrew then arranged for someone to settle the bill. Just then, outside the shop, two figures happened to stroll past this scene.

One of them, with an incredulous tone, exclaimed, “Giana, aren’t those your favorite shoes? Looks like someone’s trying them on. Damn, didn’t you tell the sales assistant to reserve them for you? Ugh!”

Giana’s eyes followed her friend’s gaze, a flicker of irritation crossing her features. But as soon as she saw who it was, her expression faltered, freezing in place. Pressing her lips into a tight line, she pushed open the door and strode inside.

Her friend, quick to mirror her movements, trailed behind with an air of indignation. She wasted no time, her words sharp as knives. “Who do you think you are, wearing Giana’s shoes?”

“Shut up!” Giana snapped, her voice a whip crack in the quiet of the store.

The girl immediately bit back her words, confusion mingling with hurt. She had only been defending Giana—why was she the one being scolded?

Giana’s gaze shifted to Madisyn, a storm of emotions swirling in her eyes, before darting to Andrew beside her. The sight of him—strikingly handsome, poised, and every bit the gentleman—sent a pang through her chest. Together, Madisyn and Andrew looked like they belonged on a magazine cover, a perfect match in every sense.

Giana hesitated, her voice barely masking the turmoil beneath. “Madisyn, what a coincidence. I didn’t expect to see you here.”

But Madisyn didn’t spare her a glance. Instead, she looped her arm through Andrew’s, her voice cool and detached. “Let’s go.”

Her dismissal was so demeaning, leaving Giana to grapple with the bitterness rising in her throat.

She took a step forward, desperation coloring her voice. “Madisyn… I… I’m really sorry.”

Shame enveloped her like a suffocating coat. Giana had misjudged everything—she had no idea that Madisyn had become a member of the prestigious Johns family.

She had assumed—wrongly—that Madisyn had simply returned to the countryside. Thus, she didn’t attend Madisyn’s welcome banquet, nor did she accept her gift. Now, regret burned in her chest.

She wondered if attending back then would have changed anything. Would they still be good friends? Perhaps she would have joined Edge Entertainment under the Johns Group, and things would be different now.

“There’s no grudge between us, so there’s no need to apologize,” Madisyn said, her face as unreadable as a blank page.

Any feelings she once harbored for Giana, positive or negative, had long since evaporated.

Giana’s heart sank, but she pressed on. “It’s been really difficult for me, Madisyn. With Jenna becoming a Chapman, I have to walk on eggshells around her at the company. I didn’t mean to lose touch with you… And aren’t you being unfair? How come you told Susan you are a member of the wealthiest family and not me?” A trace of bitterness lingered in Giana’s voice.

While she did regret not being there for Madisyn, she still felt that the latter was also at fault.

They had all been friends once—so why was she the one left out?

Madisyn’s gaze was cold, her voice colder. “Because we stayed in touch. You, on the other hand—did you even bother to reach out after I left the Chapman family? Did you answer my calls? If you had attended my welcome banquet, would you have been left in the dark?”

Giana’s composure faltered, Madisyn’s words shaking her to the core. As she saw Madisyn turning to leave, panic surged within her. She grabbed Madisyn’s arm, her voice trembling. “Madisyn, the Chapman family is on the brink of collapse, and I have nowhere else to go. Can I join Edge Entertainment? I’ll work hard; I’ll make you a ton of money! You know I’m a good singer. I wouldn’t have gotten this far if I wasn’t! Please, I’ll do my best at Edge Entertainment!”

Madisyn’s eyes narrowed, and her voice was laced with a subtle disdain. “If anyone else had sung my song, they’d have become famous too.”

With that, she pried Giana’s hand away and walked off, Andrew silently following her lead.

Giana stood there, rooted in place, as Madisyn’s figure slowly faded into the distance. Her friend tugged at her sleeve, curiosity sparking in her eyes. “You two were friends before?”

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